Robert Geoffrey Verdon-Roe (born 21 November 1965 in Winchester, Hampshire) is a British racing driver who has raced in various formats of motor sport throughout his career. He has won Formula Renault, TVR Tuscan and Historic Formula One Championships.

Bobby Verdon-Roe
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Born (1965-11-21) 21 November 1965 (age 59)
Winchester, England
Racing career
StartsTBC
WinsTBC
PolesTBC
Previous series
2011
2010
2009
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1998
1997
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
Historic Formula One Championship
Historic Formula One Championship
Historic Formula One Championship
24 Hours of Le Mans
FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
British GT Championship
British GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
British GT Championship
TVR Tuscan Challenge
TVR Tuscan Challenge
BTCC
BTCC
Formula Renault
Formula Renault
British Formula Ford Championship
Formula First
Championship titles
2011
2010
2009
1997
1991
Historic Formula One Championship
Historic Formula One Championship
Historic Formula One Championship
Tuscan Challenge
Formula Renault

He is the grandson of Sir Alliott Verdon Roe who was a pioneer of British aviation and founder of the Avro aircraft company.[1] He was educated at Ashdown House and Stowe School having been brought up in Portugal.

Racing career

edit

In 1988 he started racing in single-seaters, with no previous karting experience. Verdon-Roe came 3rd in the Formula First championship of 1988.[2]

In 1989 he moved into Formula Ford and finished 3rd in the P&O European Ferries Championship behind David Coulthard and Kelvin Burt.

During 1990 and 1991 he raced in Formula Renault, culminating with him winning the Championship in 1991 after a heated battle with Jason Plato.[3] He was nominated for an Autosport Award.

In 1992 Verdon-Roe switched to touring cars with a drive in a Vauxhall Cavalier for the Ecurie Ecosse team in the British Touring Car Championship.[4] He also raced in the latter half of the Formula Vauxhall Championship that year.

In 1993 he drove a semi-works Toyota Carina E for the Park Lane Toyota Carina team. His best result that year was a 6th place at Snetterton and finished the championship down in 19th.[5]

After a quiet spell which included a one-off race in Formula Three in 1994, Verdon-Roe returned to motorsport in the TVR Tuscan Challenge. In 1997 he won the TVR Tuscan championship overall and was nominated for an Autosport award.[6] In 1998 he stayed with the factory team and finished a close 2nd in the championship [7] and the same year, competed with the new TVR Speed 12 in the British GT Championship.[8] He also had his first taste of Historic racing, teaming up with Gerry Marshall in a Jaguar E-Type at Silverstone, finishing third after gaining pole position.[9]

In 1999 he briefly raced for the Lister works team in the FIA GT Championship, before returning to TVR and racing their new Cerbera Speed 12 GT car in the British GT Championship in 2000 and 2001, winning three races and eventually finishing 3rd in the championship.[10]

Verdon-Roe also drove one-off races in the European Le Mans Series in 2001 in 2002.[11] In 2002 he returned to the Lister team and raced the Lister Storm in the FIA GT Championship. Highlights included a 2nd place at Silverstone and 2nd place at the Spa 24 hours, Lister's best ever result in a 24-hour race.[12]

In 2003 he raced for the newly formed Creation Autosportif racing team driving the 2000 FIA GT Championship winning Lister Storm chassis (002) to 4th place in the FIA GT Championship.

In 2004 he again raced for Creation at Donington Park and the Spa 24 Hours in the Lister. He also raced once in the British GT Championship for Rollcentre Racing in the Mosler MT900R. There were also a number of entries in various historic events including the Le Mans 24 Hours Group C support race and winning the Spa-Francorchamps Classic Endurance Race.[13]

In 2005 he raced in the Le Mans 24 hours race driving a Dallara Nissan LMP1 car for the Rollcentre team,[14] as well as the Spa 24 Hours for the Lister team.

In 2008 he won the Goodwood Revival's feature race, the RAC TT Celebration, driving a Ferrari 330 LMB with Peter Hardman, the first victory for a Ferrari in the TT since the Revival began.[15]

In 2009 Verdon-Roe won FIA Historic Formula One Championship driving a McLaren M26. At the Revival he shared the Ferrari 330 LMB with Emanuele Pirro finishing 2nd.[16]

 
Verdon-Roe 2010 Historic Grand Prix of Monaco

In 2010 he won the Grand Prix Historique of Monaco aboard the ex-James Hunt McLaren.[17]

He also won the FIA Historic Formula One championship ground effect class and finished 2nd overall driving a McLaren MP4/1B.[18] At the Goodwood Revival he shared the Ferrari with Tom Kristensen, but retired having started from pole position.[19]

In 2011 he again finished 2nd overall in the FIA Historic Formula One Championship and won the ground effect class in the ex-Niki Lauda McLaren.[20] At the Revival he raced Aston Martin DBR1-2 to 2nd place in the Sussex Trophy.[21]

In 2012 he finished 2nd in the Grand Prix Historique of Monaco [22] and 2nd in Goodwood Revival's TT Celebration race driving a Jaguar E-type.[23]

In 2015 he won the Sussex trophy in the Ferrari Dino 246S at the Goodwood Revival.[24]

In 2021 he finished 5th with Martin Brundle in the AC Cobra known as Snakeyes in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival.[25]

In 2022 he finished 7th with Alex Brundle in the AC Cobra known as Snakeyes in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival.[26]

In 2023 he finished 9th, after it rained, in Snakeyes, with Alex Brundle in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival.[27]

Racing record

edit

Formula Renault Championship Results

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Points
1991 Fortec Motorsport Van Diemen RF91 Oulton Park

3rd

Silverstone

2nd

Thruxton

3rd

Brands Hatch

4th

Oulton Park

2nd

Snetterton

2nd

Mallory Park

1st

Donington Park

1st

Cadwell Park

1st

Brands Hatch

DSQ

Knockhill

1st

Thruxton

3rd

1st xx

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pos Pts
1992 Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhall Vauxhall Cavalier SIL
11
THR
16
OUL
7
SNE
13
BRH
9
DON
1

11
DON
2

9
SIL
8
KNO
1

Ret
KNO
2

Ret
PEM BRH
1
BRH
2
DON SIL 14th 9
1993 Park Lane Toyota Junior Team Toyota Carina E SIL
14
DON
Ret
SNE
6
DON
12
OUL
7
BRH
1

8
BRH
2

15
PEM
15
SIL
12
KNO
1

Ret
KNO
2

Ret
OUL
13
BRH
17
THR
17
DON
1

Ret
DON
2

DNS
SIL
Ret
19th 11

British Formula 3

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Points
1994 DAW Racing Dallara F393 Silverstone

DNF

xx

24 Hours of Le Mans results

edit
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2005   Rollcentre Racing   Michael Krumm
  Harold Primat
Dallara SP1-Nissan LMP1 133 DNF DNF

24 Hours of Daytona Results

edit
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2002   Graham Nash Motorsport   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Ian McKellar   Thomas Erdos   Ron Johnson

Saleen S7-R-Ford 6.9L V8 GTS 428 39th 7th

FIA GT Championship Results

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points
1999 Lister Storm Racing   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Julian Bailey   Tiff Needell

Lister Storm GTM GT1 Monza

Ret

Silverstone GP

Ret

2001 Lister Storm Racing   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Jamie Campbell-Walter

Lister Storm GTM GT Jarama

ESP Ret

Estoril

PT 2nd

2002 Lister Storm Racing   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Paul Knapfield   Miguel Angel de Castro   David Sterckx   Justin Law   Ian McKellar   David Warnock

Lister Storm GTM GT Magny Cours

Ret

Silverstone

2nd

Spa 24 hours

2nd

2003 Creation Autosportif   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Peter Snowdon   Marco Zadra   Duncan Huisman

Lister Storm GTM GT Barcelona

4th

Magny Cours

15th

Enna Pergusa

4th

Brno

6th

Donington

5th

Spa 24 hours

DNF

Anderstorp

DNF

Oschersleben

2nd

Estoril

DNF

Monza

8th

4th = 30
2004 Creation Autosportif   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Jamie Campbell-Walter   Peter Snowdon   Jamie Derbyshire

Lister Storm GT Donington

DNF

Spa 24 hours

DNF

2005 Lister Storm Racing   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Justin Keen   Liz Halliday   Jens Moller

Lister Storm GT Spa 24 hours
2005 Konrad Motorsport   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Harald Becker

Saleen S7-R GT Monza

17th


Complete British GT Championship results

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points
1998 TVR Engineering   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Martin Short   John Kent

TVR Cerbera Speed 12 GT1 SIL
1

OUL
1

CRO
1

SNE
1

4
SIL
1

7
DON
1

9
SIL
1

DNS
SPA
1

SIL
1

2000 TVR Engineering   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Ian McKellar

TVR Cerbera Speed 12 GT THR
1

Ret
CRO
1

Ret
OUL
1

7†
DON
1

Ret
SIL
1

1
BRH
1

3
DON
1

Ret
CRO
1

4
SIL
1

9
SNE
1

Ret
SPA
1

4
SIL
1

3
6th 60
2001 TVR Motorsport   Bobby Verdon-Roe

  Michael Caine

TVR Cerbera Speed 12 GT SIL
1

5
SNE
1

15
DON
1

3
OUL
1

3
CRO
1

2
ROC
1

1
CAS
1

2
BRH
1

1
DON
1

2
KNO
1

8
THR
1

Ret
BRH
1

13
SIL
1

3rd

FIA Historic Formula One

edit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points
2009 Scuderia BVR McLaren M26 -5 F1 Historic 1st
2010 Scuderia BVR McLaren MP4/1B F1 Historic 1st
2011 Scuderia BVR McLaren MP4/1B F1 Historic 1st


Goodwood Revival RAC TT

edit
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2007 Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Peter Hardman Ferrari 330 LMB 3rd
2008 Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Peter Hardman Ferrari 330 LMB 1st
2009 Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Emanuelle Pirro Ferrari 330 LMB 2nd
Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Nick Leventis Ferrari 246S Sino 1st
2010 Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Tom Kristensen Ferrari 330 LMB DNF
2011 JD Classics John Young Jaguar E-Type 2nd
2012
2014 Mark Lewis Motorsport Jamie McIntyre Iso A3/C 6th
2015 Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars Ferrari 246S Dino 1st
2021 Historic Automobiles Martin Brundle AC Cobra 5th
2022 Historic Automobiles Alex Brundle AC Cobra 7th
2023 Historic Automobiles Alex Brundle AC Cobra 9th

† – Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed a sufficient number of laps.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Strakka Racing Goodwood Revival summary". Motorsport.com. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Formula First Championship (1987-2000)".
  3. ^ "Formula Renault UK Championship (1991)".
  4. ^ "BTCC Championship Results (1992)".
  5. ^ "BTCC Championship Results (1993)".
  6. ^ "TVR Tuscan Challenge Results (1997)".
  7. ^ "TVR Tuscan Challenge Results (1998)".
  8. ^ "All Results of TVR Cerbera Speed 12 (1998-2002)".
  9. ^ "Silverstone Result (1998)".
  10. ^ "British GT Championship (2001)".
  11. ^ "Daytona Rolex 24h Result (2002)".
  12. ^ "FIA GT 24 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS Race Report (2002)".
  13. ^ "LMES Spa-Francorchamps, Classic Endurance Race (2004)".
  14. ^ "Le Mans Entry 2005".
  15. ^ "Goodwood Revival Race Results 2008". 23 September 2008.
  16. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2009". 22 September 2009.
  17. ^ "Historic Grand Prix of Monaco 2010" (PDF).
  18. ^ "FIA Historic Formula 1 Championship 2010".
  19. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2010". 21 September 2010.
  20. ^ "FIA Historic Formula 1 Championship 2011".
  21. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2011". 19 September 2011.
  22. ^ "FIA Historic Formula 1 Championship 2012" (PDF).
  23. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2012". 24 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2015". 14 September 2015.
  25. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2021" (PDF).
  26. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2022" (PDF).
  27. ^ "Goodwood Revival 2023" (PDF).

Other sources

edit
Sporting positions
Preceded by British Formula Renault
UK series champion

1991
Succeeded by